An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau caused the suspension of 209 flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday, following earlier disruptions to local fishing and school activities. Indonesia’s transportation ministry stated that the flight cancellations included several international routes. According to Singapore Airlines, affected operations included cancelled and rescheduled services between Singapore and Jakarta.
Flight Disruptions at Jakarta Airport
The airport announced via Instagram that flight operations were suspended until 9:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) due to volcanic ash hazard. This extended an earlier suspension that had been scheduled to lift at 5:30 a.m. Passengers at the airport sought refunds and reclaimed checked baggage as departure boards showed a growing number of cancelled flights.
Volcanic Activity and Ash Plumes
Mount Anak Krakatau has been erupting since late Friday. Indonesia’s Geological Agency reported that the volcanic island, situated in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, showed activity on Saturday and erupted for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. on Sunday. There were no casualties reported and no evacuation orders issued, with the nearest settlement located more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) away, though authorities warned residents and visitors to stay at least 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the active crater.
Satellite imagery analyzed by Indonesia’s volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two major ash clouds. The meteorological agency BMKG reported that ash reached as high as 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) on the Java side of the volcano, affecting Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and surrounding waters. A second plume reached up to 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) on the Sumatra side, moving westward and northwestward across parts of Banten, Lampung, and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait, and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.
Public Safety Advisories and Local Impact
Ahead of the airport closures, several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents suffered eye irritation from the ash. Local fishermen also cancelled their trips due to the eruption, according to the local media outlet Kompas.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, urges the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance. In the event of ashfall, people are advised to wear masks and eye protection, reduce outdoor activities, cover water sources and exercise caution when driving, as volcanic ash can reduce visibility,
said spokesperson Berton Panjaitan.
Geological Context and Tsunami History
Anak Krakatau is located roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra within Indonesia’s island chain, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently. BNPB stated on Saturday that there was no imminent risk of a tsunami from the current volcanic activity.
The volcano has a destructive history. An eruption-induced tsunami in 2018 caused by Anak Krakatau killed at least 430 people and injured hundreds more on Java and Sumatra. The name Anak Krakatau means child of Krakatau,
referencing the volcanic island that emerged a century ago from the caldera of Krakatoa, which was destroyed in an 1883 eruption that killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis.
